Raptors' VanVleet hopes to be in consideration for Sixth Man
Lou Williams is the runaway favorite to win Sixth Man of the Year for the second time in four seasons, but don't count out the best player on the best bench unit in the NBA just yet.
Toronto Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet told Shams Charania of The Vertical that he hopes to at least be in the conversation for the honor based on his contributions to the No. 1 seed in the East this season.
"Sixth Man was one of my goals at the beginning of the year," VanVleet said. "I have a goal list that I write down in my journal and that was one of them. I know with guys like Lou Will and Eric Gordon, it’s going to be tough. But the minutes I’m playing, the impact I’m having, it says a lot. And I’m hopeful to be in that conversation."
The cases for Gordon and Williams are obvious. Gordon has scored 18.2 points per game (although he's started 30 out of 68 games this year) for the Houston Rockets, while Williams is averaging 22.7 points per game to lead the Los Angeles Clippers. They are both classic microwave scorers who come off the bench and occasionally swing games with their offense.
VanVleet is a capable scorer, too, but 15.8 points per 36 minutes doesn't exactly jump off the page. He's a lethal shooter (42 percent from deep) and a crafty finisher around the basket, but VanVleet's case largely rests on his overall impact. He's a strong passer (5.7 assists per 36 minutes), an excellent defender (99.6 defensive rating when he's on the floor), and is the captain of the Raptors' vaunted bench unit, which boasts the best plus-minus in the league.
VanVleet has even cemented himself as one of Toronto's most reliable closers. The 6-foot guard has played more than any other Raptor in the fourth quarter (9.1 minutes) and has made a number of clutch plays, including his game-winning corner shot against the Detroit Pistons in overtime last month.
“DeMar (DeRozan) and Kyle (Lowry) started trusting me more, I could sense it, and my coaches started trusting me even more,” VanVleet added. “We know we’re only going to go as far as DeMar and Kyle are going to take us, but I’m just trying to be that guy that takes the pressure off of them.
"Whether it’s making reads, making shots, this time of year you have to have another option. There’s so many times they’re denied, and then you have to make a play. It’s a process by success, not a process of trial and error. I try to get them the ball, and if not, I make a play. As good things happen, it grows and grows and grows. DeMar and Kyle see it, the coaches see it, and it grows over time."